


Tell Them That You Knew Me (And You Kinda Liked Me)

by Vulcanodon



Category: The Lone Ranger (2013)
Genre: Drugs, Jealousy, M/M, Non-Consensual Groping, One Shot, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2409539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vulcanodon/pseuds/Vulcanodon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John meets an old friend and Tonto generally glares at people a lot. Silver is long suffering.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Them That You Knew Me (And You Kinda Liked Me)

**Author's Note:**

> ....Okay so this movie is kind of problematic. But they were pretty and there was a cool horse? Yeah there's no excuse for this.

John cocked his gun. The sound echoed in the shadows of the canyon. 

"I think you'd be wise to put down your weapon, friend." he said calmly. 

The would be highwayman jumped and turned his gun on John, eyes wide and panicked.

"Shit! " he yelped. "Where the hell you come from?" 

"Your weapon." John said again. "If you would be so kind."

The highwayman shook his gun in the direction of the passengers in a gesture that would have been defiant, had his hand not been shaking. 

"Wait just one goddamned minute here!" he said. "I know you don't I? You're that goddamned masked ranger that shot up Cavendish right? You know there's a price on your head boy?"

"So I'm told." John said dryly. He was beginning to develop a pain in his left temple. "Could you possibly put down your weapon now? " 

"Wait a minute." said one of the passengers. "I know that voice."

In the split second it took John to turn to look the gunman fired his gun. John felt the hair on his neck stand up as the bullet whistled past his ear. 

The robber collapsed on the ground, ugly features contorted in almost comical surprise. His body slumped to the ground, a tomahawk sticking straight up out of his back.

Tonto emerged from the shadows. The expression on his face was murderous. 

"You've got to stop killing people like that! We've talked about this." John said feeling annoyed. 

Tonto pulled the axe out of the dead man's back, far more violently than it deserved. 

"Wouldn't have to kill idiots if you stop talking!" Tonto snapped.

"I was remonstrating with him! You can't just solve every problem by throwing your axe at it. I was handling the situation." John griped.

Tonto gave him a look. 

John chose to ignore it and turned to the passengers. 

"Um, good evening ladies and gentleman. If you would all care to get back to your seats then you're free to go on your way." John risked a glance at Tonto who looked unimpressed. "We apologise for the delay." he finished weakly. 

The group glanced at each other before slowly filing back into the stagecoach. One man paused on the step. 

"Thank you. That might have lost me quite a lot." he said. 

John frowned slightly and peered through the gloom.

"Have we met before?" he asked.

The man paused. In the dark it was difficult to see his face. 

"I'm afraid I'm the one responsible for almost getting you shot. You reminded me of someone I used to know." 

The man stepped forward and in the slant of moonlight that fell across his face his features defined themselves more clearly. 

"Adam Trast!" John breathed out, starting forward in surprise.

A wide grin split the man's face. "Johnny? By god, I thought that was you!"

John grinned back in surprise and rushed forward to shake Adams hand warmly. "What the hell are you doing out here? I thought you were a big shot lawyer now?" 

"I am." Adam laughed. "I came out here for a case. I never expected to find you out here, especially not as a legendary gunslinger! What happened to the mild mannered do gooder I remember from school?" 

His expression saddened suddenly. "By God, John, I thought you were dead." 

"So did I for a while." said John. 

Tonto coughed significantly. John remembered suddenly that he was still wearing the mask. He cursed himself. In the excitement of seeing his old school friend he had forgotten all about the conditions of his new identity. 

"Listen Adam we can't talk here." he said urgently, aware of Tonto glaring at him from the corner of his eye. 

"Sure, I understand Johnny boy. Secret identity I suppose." Adam said, winking. "Tell you what. I'm rooming at Georgetown above the saloon. Meet me tomorrow night?" 

John nodded, suddenly conscious of the other passengers in the stagecoach. Adam scribbled down an address and pushed it into Johns hand. His touch lingered a moment longer than necessary. 

"It is good to see you John Reid." he said, suddenly serious. John looked back at him, suddenly feeling lost for words. He swallowed and nodded. 

John watched the stagecoach trundle away until it disappeared into the shadows of the canyon. He turned back to look at Tonto who’s eyes were narrowed. 

“You don’t need to tell me about the identity thing ok? I get it and I’m sorry. ” John said, holding his hands up to ward off argument. 

For once Tonto didn’t seem to want to argue, just shaking his head darkly and walking away.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how stupid I’m being?” John called after him, feeling slightly unnerved.

The silent treatment continued as they made up camp for the night, setting a small camp fire by the edge of a nearby brook. After numerous attempts to get Tonto to snap out of his dark cloud John had settled for glaring resentfully at him across the flames. Tonto stared back impassively, arms crossed over his chest. 

John cracked after about five minutes.

“For God’s sake! What have I done this time?” he exploded at last, throwing his hands in the air. 

Tonto looked back, stone faced.

“ Is this about the highwayman?” John asked in desperation.

Tonto didn’t so much as blink. 

“Wait…is this about Adam?” John asked, narrowing his eyes.

Tonto’s left eyebrow twitched slightly. Coming from him it was almost melodramatic.

“Aha!” John said in triumph, pointing his finger in accusation. “It is about him- you’re angry that I’m meeting him tomorrow!”

Tonto rolled his eyes but John was onto him now. 

“Listen you don't have to worry. I’ve known Adam since forever. We studied together. He’s a good man, he won’t be telling anyone. He’s a …” John searched for the word.

“Lawyer.” Tonto said dismissively. 

John scowled. “ Hey, I was a lawyer.”

Tonto’s expression told him exactly what Tonto thought of that. 

John huffed and got up to unwrap his bed roll. “Look we’ll just be sitting down and talking a while. It won’t take more than two hours in all likeliness.”

Tonto raised an eyebrow unimpressed. 

John turned away and fussed with the blankets. The fact of the matter was that he knew he could trust Adam Trast with his life. The only problem was he couldn’t exactly tell Tonto that he knew this because of all of the times back in university they used to sneak off to indulge in the sort of behaviour that would get them both kicked out at best, lynched at worst. 

It had never been a love affair, not with Rebecca’s photo still kept close to his heart. It had been more of a convenient arrangement for them both but John still thought back fondly on their encounters. 

John lay back and looked up at the stars hearing rustling coming from across the fire. After a moment there was a shuffling noise as Tonto laid down his own blankets. 

There was a pointed throat clearing from beside him and John turned his head to see Tonto sitting cross legged and staring at him intently. John shifted suddenly strangely self conscious. 

“Wouldn’t if I were you.” Tonto said shortly and pointed up at the sky without looking. “Bad omens.”

John squinted up at the perfectly normal night sky and then looked back Tonto incredulously. 

Tonto looked back at him as if to say who would know better, you or me? 

“Look.” John said. “ If I don’t come back by midnight tomorrow you have my permission to come riding in and axe everybody if it’ll make you happy. Because I can absolutely guarantee you that will not be necessary.” 

In the back of his mind he realised that he may have just said something he would later regret. 

Tonto gave him a scrutinising look before huffing out. “Fine.”

“Fine.” said John, rolling over and closing his eyes. He could feel Tonto’s eyes boring into his back until he fell asleep. 

 

 

Of course, because the universe apparently held a particular grudge against John ,Tonto turned out to be horribly right. 

It didn't start out as anything particularly sinister. John spent the day with Tonto chasing down some cattle thieves who had been threatening a few local ranches. It was only after they had been caught that John had saddled Tonto’s brown mare for town. Silver would have been a little too recognisable he had decided. He had deliberated a little over wether or not to wear some sort of disguise. In the end he had gone with an old dark suit crumpled up in the bottom of his pack, one he hadn't worn for months and a hat ( kindly ‘lent’ by one of the cattle thieves) tipped low over his eyes. 

It had felt strange taking off the mask and sheriff’s star- like his was being stripped back to the sad little law student that had first rode into town. Of course the situation wasn't helped by the fact that Tonto was sitting opposite, glowering and sharpening his tomahawk meaningfully. 

“How do I look? Think I’ll be recognised?” John asked at last, awkwardly holding out his arms.

Tonto eyes ran the length of his body, slowly and with a strange intensity from where he was leaning against Silver. John shivered slightly. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. 

Tonto walked over to him slowly, leaning in close enough that their shoulders almost brushed. Tonto may have been shorter than John but John tended to forget that at moments like these. Tonto moved closer and John felt his breath catch in his throat, mouth parting involuntarily. 

“Can’t even button shirt.” Tonto growled and then he was reaching up and fixing a loose button, fingers grazing the sensitive skin of Johns neck slightly. John swallowed.

“Thanks.” he said, managing to sound only slightly strangled as he moved away. He mounted the horse, looking away, vaguely aware his ears were warming alarmingly fast. When he looked down Tonto looked vaguely smug.

“Midnight remember.” John said as he urged the horse into a trot.

“Not a minute before!” he yelled back over his shoulder as he rode away. Tonto simply stood there impassively, watching him leave. 

Dark was drawing in by the time he reached the saloon in Georgetown, the shadows lengthening as he hitched his horse outside, flipping a coin to a local kid to look over it for him. 

He was having second thoughts as he entered the smoky saloon. It was a little too quiet and a little too dark for Johns liking, with only a few grim faced spent men hunched over in the corners. The barman was a gaunt little old man with an unfortunate combover and as John came in he squinted at him across the room.

“Here for a drink?” the barman rasped out. 

John shook his head, feeling the lack of a gun at his hip very keenly. There was something not quite right here. 

“Meeting a friend.” he replied. “Goes by the name of Trast.”

“Oh that’ll be him upstairs. Second door on the left.” the old man rasped. 

John nodded his thanks and climbed the creaky staircase to the left of the bar, one eye still on the silent men in the corner. 

At the top of the staircase was a dimly lit corridor. John stood awkwardly outside the door to the left for a moment, suddenly a little unsure. He may be the Lone Ranger now and ride around in a white hat shooting people but the last time Adam Trast had seen him they had been law students, snatching sweaty moments in between writing papers. 

He steeled his courage and knocked at the door. There was a moment of shuffling from inside before it swung open to reveal Adam Trast’s smiling face. 

“Johnny!” he said happily and pulled him inside.

John smiled nervously. “Hello Adam.”

Now that it wasn’t dark and there wasn't the added threat of stopping a robbery John could take his first proper look at Adam. Time had left him relatively untouched, the same warm brown eyes and generous smile. A little skinnier maybe but his clothes still hung well on his tall frame. The clothes themselves were the most significant change. They looked expensive- not ostentatiously but the sort of clothes that spoke of discreet and high priced tailoring. Adam must have gone up in the world Johnny thought. He stood out in the dingy room as he ushered John to a hard backed chair and pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his open suitcase.

“Crow’s Best” he said proudly holding hit up to the light. “Remember this John?”

“How could I forget” John said grinning. “That was the first time I’d ever been kicked out of a bar. I was singing country songs all night long. We drove Mrs Kent in the rooms above crazy.”

“That’s not all you did all night long.” Adam said, smirking and passing him a glass.

John flushed and covered his fluster with a long sip. The whisky burned going down and he coughed. 

‘This is just as god awful as I remember.” John said fondly. 

“You still can’t hold your drink is all.” Adam said, laughing. “ Honestly though Johnny what have you been doing with yourself? I hear talk of this Lonely Ranger even back in Chicago. Is that really you?”

“Lone Ranger.” John corrected, a tad defensively. “ And I can’t really tell you much Adam. Let’s just say there were a lot of changes after I came back home.”

“I heard about your brother.” Adam said softly. “I’m sorry Johnny.”

John looked down at the hard wood floor and nodded. “He was a good man.” 

The words sounded a little hollow as he said them. 

Adam laid a warm hand on his knee and John blinked at him. He was’t exactly surprised and to be honest it wasn't as if the unspoken offer wasn't tempting. but something held him back and he would be lying if part of it wasn't to do with a certain pair of dark eyes. Then again it wasn't as if that was really ever going to be an option. Better a bird in the hand than being doomed to a life of puritanism. Or however that expression went.

He wasn’t drunk enough for this quite yet he decided. He grinned back at Adam and raised his glass.

“Enough about that.” John said. “Tell me about what’s been happening to you Trast.”

Adam smiled and leaned back in his chair. “ Oh same old, same old. I’m actually on my way to a new job, just stopping over for a day or two.”

John nodded and took another sip. He must have forgotten just what a powerful effect Crow’s whiskey had: his head was already fuzzy. 

They talked a little more about the good old days, trading anecdotes until John happened to glance at the clock and realised that more than two hours had passed: it was nearly ten. He blinked in confusion and glanced at the bottle on the table- surely he hadn’t drunk enough to make time slip away that easily. 

“Hey…” he tried to say but the words came out slurred and garbled. The room was tilting, he realised with a growing sense of unease.

“Oh Johnny. “ said Adam fondly, lounging in front of him. “You always were a lightweight.” 

The empty glass fell from John’s hand but Adam caught it before it hit the ground. 

“You drugged me.” John said slowly, staring wide eyed at Adam who smiled indulgently back. 

“No hard feelings John.” Adam said sympathetically. “I know this will sound cliche but this really is just business.” 

John tried to stagger to his feet but his legs didn't seem to have any bones in them and he fell. Adam caught him and lowered him down to the small creaking bed frame. John opened and shut his mouth but words seemed very far away and reaching them was like fishing in the dark. 

“…Why?” he managed at last. 

“I told you I was on the way to a job old friend.” Adam said. “It just so happens that my new bosses are the sort of people who need a defense lawyer on hand. They’re also the sort of people who would very much appreciate having the Lone Ranger hand delivered.” 

“You bastard.” John heard himself say as if from far away. “I thought…”

Adam laughed. “You thought what? That because you sucked me off a few times back in law school that I wouldn’t cash in on this. I’m a lawyer for God sake John.”

John could smell smoke coming from far away and wondered vaguely if he was hallucinating. He sprawled uselessly on the bed and fought to keep his eyes from dragging shut. Tonto would never let him hear the end of this. 

“Though I will admit.” Adam said leaning close, hand sliding up John’s thigh. “You always were a good fuck.”  
Then, all at once there was a loud wet cracking noise and Adam was slumping to the floor, the back of his head a bloody mess. Standing over him was Tonto who was looking down at him, a nasty and legitimately terrifying look in his eyes. 

“Um.” said John eloquently. Then suddenly Tonto’s angry face was turned on him and things got a lot more scary.

“You are a very stupid man.” Tonto said bitingly and honestly at this point John could admit he had a point. 

Tonto rolled his eyes and helped lift John up from the bed, pulling Johns arm over his shoulder. John leant into him heavily. 

“There is…a possibility you were right about some things.” John mumbled. Tonto snorted, half dragging him out the door into the corridor. 

John could hear vague shouting from downstairs and the smell of smoke was thicker out here, making his eyes sting. 

“Do you have to set everything on fire?” He slurred as they staggered down the steps.

“Distraction.” Tonto grunted who was in all fairness doing most of the staying uprightness for both of them. Tonto was really strong John thought absently. And very muscled. 

Tonto snorted again and John realised those last thoughts might have not been just in his head. He resolved to stop thinking for a bit. 

The bar downstairs was a haze of thick, strong smelling smoke and faint crackles of flame. John wondered what had happened to the bartender and decided against asking. 

Outside the air was refreshingly cool. Tonto propped him up against Silver who had the most judgemental expression john had ever seen on an animals face in his life. Of the brown mare there was no sign. 

“Where’s…?”John asked, clutching onto Silver’s saddle for dear life.

Tonto glared at him. “You owe me new horse.” 

With that he disappeared back into the the burning building, clutching his tomahawk. 

“What the hell..?” John asked Silver.

After a little while Tonto came out, looking grim and holding the bottle of Crow’s Best. 

“What-” John began but Tonto just shushed him. 

“Not wasting good whisky.” was all he said, hauling John with difficulty up onto Silver behind him. There John took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Tonto’s waist. He could always blame it on the drugs later. As they rode away, John buried his head into Tonto’s shoulder.

“You can say I told you so if you want.” he said miserably into Tonto’s neck. 

“Told you so.” Tonto said. 

“What if he tells people who I am?” John slurred, panic edging into his tone. 

“He won’t.” Tonto said shortly.

“Oh God.” John said as the thought occurred to him. “He’s not dead is he?” 

There was silence. John could feel Tonto’s steady breathing from where he was pressed against him. It was sort of calming. 

“I’m just going to pretend I didn’t ask that.” John said finally. 

“You care?” Tonto asked. Behind them Georgetown was falling away as Silver’s hooves ate up the distance. 

“I suppose I always knew he was a jackass.” John mumbled, closing his eyes against the wind in his face. “ But I never thought he’d do something like this. For what its worth I don’t think I would have slept with him if I had known.”

He had the vague feeling that he shouldn't have said that but his brain to mouth connection was still pretty much broken. Tonto stiffened in his arms.

“You..tonight?” Tonto asked, voice something unidentifiable in his voice.

John snorted. “God no. Just once in law school . Well, twice really. Well, three times. Actually it was more like-”

“Stop now. ” Tonto said abruptly. 

“Okay but just so you know…” John said calmly. There was a little part of his brain that was shouting to be heard, telling him that he was making a dramatically awful mistake at this point. “ I wasn't even going to do it before…well before he turned out to be a …”

“Lying son of a bitch?” Tonto suggested

“I was going to say evil but that works.” 

Silver slowed as they reached the burnt out remains of their previous camp. Tonto jumped off easily, catching John as he half fell out of the saddle. For a moment their faces were very near, John’s hands pressed against Tonto’s bare chest. John could feel his heart beating they were so close. 

There was a brief second in which one part of John’s brain listed all of the reasons this was a horrible idea. The other, louder part thought fuck it and leaned in.

It was first just a brief, gentle press of lips, a barely there point of contact: almost chaste. Then Tonto unfroze and kissed him back, hands twisting in John’s hair and suddenly it was all hot, hard and just about as not chaste as it was possible to be.

John may have moaned a little bit but in his defence he was drugged and he hadn't been kissed like this since… well, maybe he had never been kissed like this before, never been wanted like this before. 

Unfortunately the ‘drugged’ part of the equation seemed to occur to Tonto around the same time. He drew back and gave John a long calculated look. John tried not to look too dazed. The swaying probably didn't help. 

“Um.” John said for the second time that night. Tonto rolled his eyes and pushed him down to sit on a rock while he laid out the bedrolls, muttering under his breath the whole time. John turned to the very engrossing and difficult task of not falling over and drooling. 

After an unmeasurable amount of time John found himself being pushed down into scratchy warm blankets. 

“I’m not tired.” he mumbled into the ground. 

“Shut up and sleep.” Tonto said bluntly but John had grown to recognise when Tonto was being fond. 

“We’re going to talk about this.” John said as he shut his eyes. 

He was asleep before he heard Tonto’s reply. 

The next morning he would wake up with a head that felt like it had been used for wood chopping practice and the sensation that something had quite possibly died in his mouth. On the other hand he also woke up with his head tucked against Tonto’s collarbone so there was that. Sometimes in life John knew, you really had to take your victories where you found them.


End file.
